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Oat meal is certainly an excellent food for babies who have been introduced to solid foods. It is packed with nutrients like vitamins, proteins and fiver. Undoubtedly oats are good for babies. As a matter of fact they can actually be the first solid foods for them. You can start giving it to your baby as he turns six months old.

Wondering which type of oat is the best for your babies? The answer is steel-cut oatmeal because they are easy to cook, unprocessed and contains all the nutrients of whole oats. You can make use of steel-cut oat meal in different food recipes according to what your baby seems like. When you are on the lookout for steel-cut oats or standard infant oat cereal, look for the ones that come with no sugar, flavoring, salt and added preservatives. Oats taste best when you combine it with milk, finely chopped vegetables, almost all types of fruits, shredded chicken and others.

Babies can be allergic to oats but the chances are very few. It is believed by experts that oats are less likely to cause any kind of allergy compared to other grains like rye or wheat. They are safe to be consumed by babies.

Health Benefits of Oats for Babies

Your baby gets to enjoy a number of health benefits with oatmeal included in his diet:

1. Oats help to ease constipation: oats are full of fiber which helps to deal with constipation. Babies who suffer from constipation can benefit from taking oats regularly. Doctors recommend that you give your babies oats just like adults when they suffer from constipation. It does work wonders.
2. Offers nourishment to babies with gluten allergy: babies who are allergic to gluten cannot eat barley, rye and wheat which give them the basic nutrition they need. However, they can eat oats that are gluten free. Oats contain the same minerals vitamins that essential grains have.
3. Improves insulin sensitivity: Many infants are born with congenital type-1 diabetes. They can benefit from regular consumption of oats as it reduces insulin resistance. This means that your baby’s body can use injected insulin better and ward off adverse effects of diabetes.
4. Boosts immunity: Oats help to fortify baby’s immune system. It owes this quality to a type of sugar called beta-glucans that stimulates the produce of immune system cells. Consuming oats on a regular basis can keep your baby’s immune system healthy which is particularly important for growing babies.
5. Important for babies with GERD: oats happen to be a great treatment option for infants with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as infants suffering from GERT are recommended solid food in the form of thicker purees. Oatmeal is believed to be a healthy an safe version of thickening food for such babies.

Aids in minimizing inflammation: the presence of a compound called avenanthramides in oats helps to reduce inflammation caused due to different reason like wounds and infections. Infants who are suffering from autoimmune diseases will definitely benefit from the anti-inflammatory qualities of oats.